After The Rift Storm
by blucougar57
Summary: Ianto doesn't hold a grudge for Jack leaving. He can't see the point, not when time could be better spent offering some much needed comfort.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Post Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. H/C - light on a hurt, heavier on the comfort and understanding, because I needed fluff.  
>I figure something must have happened between Jack and Ianto between the end of that ep, and Sleepers, because Ianto was in far too good a mood for it simply to be about Jack asking him out on a date.<p>

* * *

><p>Ianto honestly hadn't intended to fall straight back into bed with Jack after his very abrupt return from... well, from wherever it was that he'd swanned off to with the Doctor. He'd had every intention of playing hard to get, to force the Captain to work hard to get back into his good graces. It was a risky manoeuvre. He'd known all along that despite her engagement to Rhys, Gwen still pined for Jack, and there was the chance that Jack might fall instead into Gwen's more than willing arms.<p>

It might have seemed that was actually the case, given what Ianto witnessed between Jack and Gwen on the CCTV immediately after bringing John Hart back to the Hub. He was nothing if not observant, though, and where others might have interpreted Jack's exchange with Gwen as being a bad thing for Ianto, Ianto himself didn't see it that way.

He'd never tried to kid himself that Jack wasn't infatuated with Gwen, at least to a point. He knew Jack loved the feisty, frustrating, determined woman in his own inimitable way. Jack would always have love for more than just one person at a time. It was practically written into his DNA, but rather than allow himself to be despondent about it, Ianto chose to see it from a positive perspective. Yes, Jack loved Gwen, but that didn't mean he loved Ianto any less and, despite Jack's cavalier attitude towards sex, he respected the boundaries of relationships far too much to act on any unrequited feelings.

What Ianto had observed in the CCTV footage was not Jack lusting after something that he couldn't have, but rather accepting Gwen's choice to marry Rhys and to offer her a somewhat melancholy blessing. Gwen clearly saw it differently, judging by her careless comment about accepting Rhys' proposal because 'no one else would have her'. Frankly, Ianto thought that if that was her attitude, then she had a responsibility to cut Rhys loose, and leave the man with at least a shred of dignity, as well as the chance to go out and find someone who truly appreciated him.

It left a tiny smile on Ianto's face when, instead of throwing himself at her as Gwen apparently had expected him to, Jack had instead offered his congratulations and then backed away. Not that he was one to gloat, but Ianto wished things hadn't gone to hell the way they had so soon afterwards. He would have loved to oh-so-casually ask Jack where he'd like to go for their date when the others (namely Gwen) were within earshot.

Immature? Maybe. Satisfying? Definitely. He was only human, after all.

But things had gone to hell, because this was Torchwood and Torchwood didn't do bright, sunny and carefree fluffiness. John Hart made a half-arsed shot at stalling the team so that he could get his precious and apparently non-existent Arcadian diamond; Gwen barely survived being poisoned (Jack _had_ warned her not to let John kiss her, so his sympathy was a little on the dull side, there); Owen was shot in the shoulder (again) and Tosh had a nice old migraine from being whacked across the head. And Jack, of course, died. Typical Torchwood day, really, even if it did happen at night.

Then time reset itself (and didn't _that_ just leave Ianto experiencing serious déjà vu) and they had to avoid themselves for the next ten to twelve hours.

Ianto had been prepared to go home and curl up in his own bed for that period of time but Jack, bless him, decided he owed them and booked them all into the St David's Hotel, of all places, for some relaxation and serious pampering.

That was another thing that irritated Ianto; the attitude of the others, and Gwen in particular, that Jack had betrayed them by leaving. Yes, he'd been upset. They all had been upset by Jack's abrupt disappearance, and no one would deny them the right to feel that way, but betrayed? That was stretching it, especially after it became clear that he'd gone with the Doctor. Gwen, even more than Tosh and Owen, should have understood, after she'd confessed Jack had made references to 'the right kind of doctor' on multiple occasions in her presence, but she chose to act affronted at Jack's actions.

It really was a bit rich, Ianto thought at the time when Gwen turned on Jack in the Hub and verbally ripped him a new one for leaving them. Given their betrayal had seen Jack die a horrific death at the metaphorical hands of Abbadon, they were the last ones who should have been standing as judge and jury over Jack.

Really, a little understanding and sympathy wouldn't have gone astray from any of them, but it was like after the faeries incident when they'd lost the Chosen One, Jasmine. On arrival at the hotel, Gwen, Tosh and Owen had all taken their door keys from Jack and headed to their individual rooms without so much as a 'good night' to their hapless leader. When Jack had turned to Ianto, with a look that suggested he was expecting the same silent treatment from the younger man, Ianto had taken some pleasure in surprising him by taking his hand.

"I don't think we really need to bother with a separate room, do we?" Ianto had asked lightly. Jack's eyebrows shot up, and Ianto had smiled wryly. "No sex. Not yet."

Jack's face fell just slightly, but he quickly fixed it into a big grin that did nothing to hide the pain in his eyes.

"Not quite ready to forgive me yet, huh? Well, I guess I can understand that. Gives me something to work towards, doesn't it?"

Ianto silenced him with a quick, chaste kiss.

"There's nothing to forgive, except the fact that you left without at least leaving a note. I admit I don't know why you had to go, but you never do anything without a damned good reason. Don't see why you leaving would be any different. Now, come on. I'm knackered but I need a shower before I can even think about sleep."

It was when no dirty comment or innuendo was forthcoming that Ianto had really noticed for the first time that not all was right with his Captain. The second time was when he got a good look at Jack's emaciated body when the Captain was stripping off to take his turn in the shower. That disturbed Ianto greatly, and prompted him to phone Room Service and order a selection of food. Jack was clearly painfully hungry, but took care not to wolf food down too quickly, or to take too much.

All together, it was the sight of Jack behaving with unnatural reservation and timidity that finally encouraged Ianto to ask the same question that Gwen had asked hours previous in the Hub tunnels.

"Where did you go, Jack?"

He hoped he sounded less demanding than Gwen had, but he couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. Besides, it didn't hurt to ask, and if Jack truly didn't want to answer then Ianto wasn't going to force him into doing so.

Jack fell quiet, his gaze fixed on his hands, which were resting in his lap. Not easily, though, Ianto noticed. His hands had the beginnings of the faintest tremor in them – something else which disturbed Ianto greatly. He'd never known his Captain's hands to be anything but rock solid. He refrained from adding that Jack didn't need to feel obliged to answer. He either would or he wouldn't and Ianto wasn't going to patronise him by stating the obvious.

"I went to the end of the world," Jack admitted finally, repeating what he had said earlier to Gwen. "I saw the end of the world, Ianto."

"I gather you're not speaking geographically," Ianto murmured. Jack shuddered violently.

"I watched a madman unleash hell on the world, and I couldn't stop him. Everything I loved... Every_one_ I loved died."

_Even me_, Ianto thought numbly, his over-active mind adding in a most unwanted image to accompany what Jack _hadn't_ said.

"How long was it for you?" Ianto asked, choosing not to press Jack on the details. They would come later, if Jack wanted to share it.

"A year," Jack admitted dully. "Maybe a bit more, taking into account what went on before and after. We had clean-up and repairs to take care of, so that took a little while. Yeah, a bit over a year."

It made no sense to Ianto, and he made no effort to try and understand. All he knew was that Jack had apparently endured a terrible trauma for a long time, and that effectively erased any possible lingering resentment he might have felt over Jack's departure.

"When was the last time you got to sleep in a bed, with someone holding you who didn't want to hurt you?" Ianto wondered softly. Jack laughed, but the sound was strangled, ugly.

"Bed? A couple of nights ago. I got to sleep in my old room in the TARDIS. She helped me to sleep... took away the nightmares. Physical contact that didn't involve torture? When we slept together before Tosh and I went back in time through the rift."

Ianto felt shocked. That was four or five months for him, but so much longer for Jack. For someone who was so tactile, and craved intimate contact like the body craved water, it seemed unimaginable.

"Jack, will you be all right if I hold you now?" Ianto asked softly. Jack looked sideways at him, fear mixed with hope etched all over his face.

"Please...?" he asked softly, in that too-timid voice that was so completely un-Jack-like.

Gently urging Jack to lie down, Ianto started to slide into the bed behind him, only to stop when Jack stiffened.

"Please," Jack whispered. "Not behind me. Not yet."

Ianto didn't question why, though he could reasonably guess. Instead, he went around to the other side of the bed and slipped in under the covers so that he and Jack lay face to face. He lifted an arm, but waited for Jack to move willingly into his embrace rather than risking doing anything that might frighten Jack.

A smile graced his lips as Jack uttered a sound of contentment and curled in against Ianto. Only then did Ianto lightly close his arms around the Captain.

"I won't leave again," Jack whispered, his voice muffled from where his face was somewhat smooshed against Ianto's shoulder.

"I won't hold you to that promise," Ianto assured him. "There may be a time again in the future when you'll have to go, when the Doctor will need you. All I want is to know you'll come back."

Jack shuddered in his embrace, and Ianto thought he detected a telling damp spot forming on his tee-shirt.

"Always," Jack promised, and Ianto smiled.

Jack had promised him, and that was enough.

_Fin._


	2. Chapter 2

It had been too long since Ianto had slept in someone's embrace. He'd almost forgotten how comforting it was to wake up to find a warm body pressing in against his own; arms wrapped around his body, legs entwined and the soothing thud of another heartbeat against his chest.

Ianto opened his eyes slowly, and was torn between smiling and weeping. Jack's face was inches from his own, eyes closed, mouth open as he slept. It seemed he hadn't had a completely peaceful rest, though his features were currently relaxed. Judging by the silvery tears streaks on Jack's cheeks, he'd suffered at least one nightmare throughout the night, although it obviously had not been severe enough to wake either of them.

Unable to resist the temptation, Ianto leaned close and lightly kissed the immortal's cheeks.

The loving touch was enough to bring Jack back into wakefulness and for a few blissful moments, Ianto enjoyed the sight of Jack caught between sleep and awakening, without a care in the world. Then, memories returned and with them, the soul-crushing heartache that Ianto had seen in Jack's eyes hours earlier. Hurting for his Captain, Ianto kissed him again, this time on the lips.

"I'm here," Ianto murmured as Jack curled in against him, seeking comfort that Ianto willingly gave.

"Sorry," Jack whispered. "Shouldn't be doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Putting it all on you. I should be able to deal with this on my own."

"Rubbish," Ianto snorted. "Jack, did you expect me to deal with it on my own after I was nearly eaten by cannibals? No. Hell, you didn't even expect it of me after Lisa. Why shouldn't I do the same for you now?"

Jack sighed softly.

"I love you, Ianto Jones."

It wasn't so much the whispered statement that caught Ianto by surprise, but rather the sincerity in Jack's tone. He really meant it, Ianto thought as he struggled with a sudden onslaught of emotion. Even if those particular words never passed his lips again, Ianto knew he had heard them just this once, and that Jack had said them to _him_.

"I love you, too," Ianto answered, indulging in another kiss.

"Why aren't you angry with me?" Jack asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful. I just don't understand why you're not angry with me like the others."

Ianto ran his fingers over Jack's head, indulging in the softness of freshly washed hair. It didn't escape his attention that Jack tensed fractionally at the contact to his head, but he deliberately didn't withdraw. He wanted Jack to accept that there would never be any pain attached to any of Ianto's touches. Whatever he'd endured, it was over and Ianto would never hurt him.

"I admit I was, at first," Ianto confessed quietly. "But like I said, that was more because you disappeared without leaving so much as a note."

Jack huffed softly.

"Sorry about that, but the Doctor doesn't usually tend to hang around. I didn't have much time to reach him… It didn't help that he tried to get away from me, either."

Ianto felt a sharp twinge of anger on Jack's behalf.

"He tried to run away from you?"

"Yeah. Something to do with the way I am. It's like fingernails down a chalkboard to him."

"Really," Ianto growled.

"It's not his fault," Jack mumbled. "Not really…"

"Don't make apologies for him, Jack," Ianto countered. "After all the loyalty you've shown him, he has no business treating you like that."

Jack's eyebrows went up as Ianto's words sank in, and he wondered just how much Ianto actually knew about his admittedly rocky relationship with the Time Lord. Ianto saw the look, and a smile touched his lips.

"I have full access to the Torchwood Three Archives, Jack. It's well documented, the number of times you ran interference to stop Torchwood from getting anywhere near the Doctor… as well as the punishment you received for doing so."

The smirk slipped from Jack's face. The last thing he needed right now, with his state of mind being what it was, were further reminders of past torture.

"Can we talk about something else?" he asked. He hated how plaintive he sounded, but this was Ianto. Above all else, he'd learned long ago that he had no reason to hide any part of himself from the younger man. Ianto had never judged him for showing moments of weakness, and Jack couldn't imagine he was going to start now. True to form, Ianto obliged without question.

"So, are you going to tell me where you intend on taking me for our first date?"

Jack smiled again.

"Glad to hear you don't expect it to be a one-time event."

Ianto indulged in a lingering, albeit chaste kiss.

"I should hope it won't be."

"I haven't quite decided yet," Jack confessed, "but I promise it'll be worth it. We're going to do it properly this time, Ianto. You won't regret giving me a second chance."

"I know," Ianto murmured. "I don't regret it now."

* * *

><p>They dozed again, comfortable in each other's embrace. When Ianto woke again, though, it was to an unpleasant sensation of heat and sweat. It took him just a minute to realise that it was Jack who was the unintentional culprit. Though still asleep, he was no longer peaceful and relaxed. Instead, he seemed covered in sweat from head to toe, and his body trembled a little in Ianto's arms.<p>

"Jack?" Ianto asked, anxious that perhaps Jack was suffering a nightmare. Jack answered with a distressed groan that did nothing to reassure the younger man. Sitting up, Ianto threw off the sheets, half expecting to find that Jack had had an accident, the sheets were so wet. It appeared it was strictly from excessive perspiration, though, which begged the question, why?

A moment later, Ianto suspected he had his answer when he ran his fingers lightly down Jack's spine, and the normally soothing touch elicited a strangled sob of pain. There was no visible sign of injury, but Ianto knew from past experience that the agony Jack suffered in his deaths and resurrections often lingered for hours afterwards. It just surprised him that Jack had managed to hide his sufferings until now.

"Easy," Ianto murmured. He manoeuvred carefully off the bed, and encouraged Jack to lie flat on his stomach, taking the worst of the pressure off his back. A closer look with the light on only showed what Ianto already knew – that Jack's back looked perfect, the flesh tanned and flawless. Looks could be deceiving, though, and the proof of that was in Jack's distress.

"What can I do?" Ianto asked. Jack turned his head fractionally, and regarded Ianto with fever-bright eyes.

"Hot," he mumbled breathlessly. "'m so hot…"

"I'll go and get some ice and some damp cloths," Ianto told him. "Hold on, Jack. I won't be long."

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><p>It was either ridiculously late or disgustingly early; Ianto honestly wasn't sure which. Either way, he didn't expect to run into anyone at all as he headed down the hallway from his and Jack's shared room to find some ice. Unbelievably, there had been none in the icebox section of their mini-bar fridge, and a call to room service had assured that yes, ice was certainly available, and that it would be delivered within twenty minutes. Not caring to wait that long, Ianto decided to go and collect it himself.<p>

He was almost to the end of the hallway when a door to his right opened and he suddenly found himself confronted by Gwen, Owen and Tosh. Somewhat bemused, he raised an eyebrow at his colleagues.

"Let me guess. You decided to cut back on costs by sharing a room?"

"Don't be stupid," Owen retorted. "Just answer us straight. Are you sharing a room with Captain Fantastic?"

Ianto's expression darkened.

"Don't, Owen. Don't insult him. He doesn't deserve it."

"He left us, Ianto!" Gwen argued, in perhaps a louder voice than was strictly necessary.

"Yes, Jack left us, but he came back. That should be the only thing that matters, not where he was or what he did." _Or what was done to him_, Ianto thought grimly to himself.

"How can you forgive him so easily?" Tosh asked. "After all the pain he caused us… All the pain he caused _you_?"

"How could I not?" Ianto countered simply.

"C'mon, Ianto," Gwen started to argue, but he cut her off short. He had to end this right now, and get the promised ice for Jack.

"You all accuse him of betraying us by leaving. Well, we betrayed him first, and I think our betrayal was the worse one. He left to find answers, and god knows it's the least he's owed after going for so long not knowing why he is the way he is. We betrayed him because of visions we all had that we all damn well knew were false."

"Rhys _was_ killed," Gwen argued, and Ianto conceded that point.

"He was, as a means to push you over the edge and force you into rebelling against Jack." Ianto held up his hands, forestalling further arguments. "I'm not judging. I was as much a part of it as the rest of you. My point is that we betrayed Jack and it got him killed in an unimaginably painful way, but he _forgave_ us." Ianto looked around pointedly at each of them. "Why on earth can't you afford him the same absolution? Because god knows he had more reason to do what he did, than we had to do what we did."

"And you've just fallen back into bed with him?" Gwen asked, sounding just a tad bitter in Ianto's ears. "Even after…"

She faltered, and Ianto smiled.

"You mean, after your little chat in the tunnels yesterday? Yes, I saw and heard it all."

"So then you must know that…"

Again, she faltered, as though unsure how much she should say.

"That I'm his second choice?" Ianto finished for her. "Firstly, this isn't an appropriate time or place to be having this discussion, but if you insist, then so be it. You can just listen to what I have to say for once. Secondly, I'm not his second choice at all. I accept that he loves you, Gwen, but I know that he loves me as well. The difference is that he respects relationships, and that's why he's never done anything more than flirt with you. He won't ever come between you and Rhys because he respects and accepts the boundaries of your relationship. Now, I know that you don't understand that he could love more than one person at a time, and you think that you're the only one he has eyes for, but the truth is that Jack has the capacity to love many people at once. If you can't believe that, then perhaps you really don't know him anywhere near as well as you think you do."

Gwen's cheeks went flame-red, and she looked for the world like she'd just been slapped. Ianto took advantage of her moment of speechlessness, and stepped swiftly around her, Owen and Tosh.

"Jack came back to us, and believe me when I say that he didn't have to. Try scraping up a fraction of the compassion that he has and show a little bit of forgiveness. It won't kill you."

Without waiting for a reply, Ianto continued on down the hallway. On looking back over his shoulder, he was quietly relieved to see them disappearing into their respective rooms without further argument.

* * *

><p>"What took so long?"<p>

The question might have seemed demanding, except that the man asking it was still almost paralysed by the pain in his back and the fever that was currently engulfing him.

"I was waylaid," Ianto answered. He seated himself carefully on the end of the bed and, with all the care he could muster, laid the first of the cool, damp cloths across Jack's bare shoulders, and then one across the back of his neck.

"Feels nice," Jack mumbled, the relief evident in his voice. "Who was it? Gwen, I'll bet."

"All three of them, actually. I hope you don't mind, but I gave them a bit of an earful."

Jack opened one eye to peer up at Ianto.

"Bet that confused them."

"It did," Ianto said with a smile. "But hopefully, I gave them something to think about. They really have no right to stand in judgement, considering what we did to you."

"I forgave you," Jack pointed out and Ianto leaned down to kiss his temple.

"I know, and I'm still grateful. I also pointed that little fact out to the others. It seemed to have slipped from their memories. I suggested that if you could forgive us for getting you killed in such a dreadful way, then surely we can all forgive you for leaving to find someone that you've been waiting for… for how long had it been?"

"A hundred and thirty-eight years… give or take," Jack admitted. Ianto sighed.

"All the more reason, then."

"They didn't ask about… you know… _us_?"

"It hadn't escaped their attention that we're sharing a room, if that's what you mean." Ianto paused as he dropped a few ice cubes onto a damp cloth and wrapped them before stroking it lightly down Jack's spine. A groan escaped Jack's lips, but he was quick to protest when Ianto stopped.

"Don't stop, please. It's getting better, and the ice feels good."

Trusting that Jack knew what his own body needed, Ianto resumed stroking the makeshift ice pack up and down Jack's spine, whilst re-soaking the cloths every few minutes to keep them cool.

"Feel any better?" Ianto asked, a while after abandoning the melting ice for a gentle massage. He could have been mistaken, but he was fairly sure that Jack's skin didn't feel quite so hot, and his sensitivity to any touches to his back was considerably less now as well.

"Yeah," Jack sighed. "You have magic hands, Mr Jones."

Ianto smiled. It wasn't the first time Jack had told him that, though previous times had been the result of decidedly less innocent activities.

"Just as long as this isn't our first date," Ianto teased.

"No, I'm going to do that properly," Jack murmured. "I promise I will."

"I believe you," Ianto assured him. Jack gazed up at Ianto blearily. He was starting to lose the fight to stay awake, as the pain faded away into a dull throb and Ianto's hands continued working up and down his spine.

"What did I do to deserve you?"

Ianto's eyes filled with tears as Jack slipped back into a light and blessedly easy sleep. There was really only one answer to that, and he whispered it with heartfelt emotion.

"You loved me."

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><p>Fin.<p> 


End file.
